I went to Centennial High School, in Compton, California, and our school nickname was the BIG 10! When the Trekkers all arrived in Tehran that nickname seemed to perfect for this huge capital city. Tehran is beautiful. It has grassy parks and fancy water fountains and bustling city streets. On the edge of the city are the beautiful Alborz Mountains. Just a few hours away is the Caspian Sea where families go to vacation.

Tehran is big, too. It has 10 million people!

Vocabulary bustle - to do something really fast recognized - to understand something generous - to give a lot

Tehran's first people were bandits that made sneak-attacks on passers-by. It grew from a pirate hideout into a trade center after the threat from the Mongol invaders made people group together. One of these groups settled in Tehran. They recognized that Tehran had a lot to offer. The hunting, the clear rivers, and thick forests made it valuable.

Today in Tehran there are museums for everything from Persian jewels to ceramics and glasswork. The National Jewels Museum has the largest uncut diamond in the world. It is called the Sea of Light, or Dary-ye Nur.

In America we hear that Iranians are bad people. And Iranians only hear bad things about America. We found that the Iranian people we met were a lot like Americans. Iranians are fun, generous people. It made us realize that we need to meet people before we judge them. And we are very grateful that we have been able to meet so many Iranians.

Jasmine